Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), an ally of BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), has decided to extend support to Samajwadi Party in prestigious Lok Sabha by-election in Firozabad, reports M Hasan.

Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), an ally of BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), has decided to extend support to Samajwadi Party in prestigious Lok Sabha by-election in Firozabad.

The RLD president Chaudhury Ajit Singh has deployed his son Jayant Chaudhury, MP from Mathura, to campaign for SP’s nominee and Mulayam Singh Yadav’s daughter-in-law Dimple Yadav in Firozabad.

“Jayant Chaudhury would be campaigning in Tundla on November 4," said SP spokesman Rajendra Chaudhury here on Sunday.

Despite the BJP contesting the Firozabad by-poll, the RLD’s decision to support SP is being seen in political circle here as Ajit’s gradually move away from the NDA.

However, the RLD state unit chief Ram Asre Verma said that “we are part of the NDA. We have decided to support SP because BJP candidate is weak”. Ajit Singh too said in Delhi “BJP is not in fight in Firozabad”. He said “the aim is to defeat Congress and BSP in Firozabad”. Ram Asre said that SP general secretary Amar Singh had gone to Ajit Singh to seek his support.

But the BJP has not taken it kindly. “I will talk to central leadership on the issue”, fumed BJP president Ramapati Ram Tripathi. The RLD in alliance with BJP had won five Lok Sabha seats. Later BJP helped the RLD to win Morna assembly by-election in August lasts.

The RLD, which was a partner in SP’s coalition government (2003-07), broke away in 2007 assembly election to go it alone. The RLD could win just nine seats.

Ajit Singh, expecting rout of the Congress-led UPA in 2009 Lok Sabha polls, jumped on the NDA bandwagon. However his calculations horribly went wrong. With the BJP in bad shape in the state and Mulayam Singh Yadav making determined efforts to mobilize backward class and minority community, the RLD seems to be heading towards SP once again.

Even though Rajendra Chaudhury said the RLD had given support to party in Firozabad and not in 11 assembly constituencies, going simultaneously to polls on November 7, the RLD’s Firozabad message is loud and clear to party cadre.